C.A.K.E

The instant his feet hit the cold lobby floor, he wishes he could get his hands on a DeLorean and a flux capacitor.

He'd tell his past self to run for the hills when the red-headed step-daughter of his father's golf buddy comes strolling into his parents' house.

The one time he was depending on her to be herself, she chooses to play the role of a concerned mother and show up here.

"Elliott Finley Stone." Melinda stops fighting Edward and saunters over to his side. "How are you, Fin?"

Everyone calls him either Elliott or Eli. She's the one person who uses his middle name, and she insists upon addressing him as Finley or Fin. Melinda says Finley is a much more distinguished name than Elliott. Truth is, she loves calling him that because she knows he detests it.

He gulps down air and runs his hands over his hair. Eli blinks as his eyes adjust to her. Just looking at her takes everything out of him.

The first Mrs. Stone is the captain and head coach of Team Too Much.

Almost two in the morning, and she's wearing a lace Gucci dress with a side slit that hits about mid-thigh, with a pair of sheer black stockings, topped off with a pair of nosebleed heels. Her bleached mane has been coaxed into soft ringlets that frame her face. A blood-red lipstick tints her lips.

Melinda couldn't have been too worried about the twins, since she took the time to get dolled up like a high-priced call girl.

She looks good. He won't lie. But she still can't hold a candle to Arden.

Stripped down to her birthday suit, and not a touch of makeup, Ardi's still beautiful. More attractive in fact. She's not trying to impress anyone, and that's what makes her so stunning. Somehow because she's not asking for the attention, it makes her more worthy of it.

Melinda on the other hand, needs the layers of makeup, the designer clothes, and the constant reassurance. So much so that she'll bring up her appearance just so people can comment on it.

After about six months of dating, Elliott ran out of genuine compliments and would volunteer a half-hearted, 'yeah, that's nice,' whenever she went fishing for flattery.

Nowadays, he keeps words with Mel to a minimum, and what she's wearing tonight garners nothing more than an aggravated smirk from him.

Elliott keeps checking the door for Melinda's usual entourage. She never travels without her latest male conquest and personal assistant.

With a nationally ranked television show under her belt, she is somewhat of a big deal. Dressed to the 9s with Melinda Carven-Stone airs every Thursday night at nine eastern on the Style network. The show has won several primetime television awards since its premiere three years ago.

You have to give a simple girl from the backwoods of Alabama credit. It's an amazing feat to be recognized for your talent in such a public manner. And Melinda is great at what she does, maybe even the best.

But her goddamned attitude overshadows every positive thing about her.

He's never seen a stylist who's more high maintenance than any of her clients, and she works with the best of young Hollywood.

A whiny, entitled twenty-something would be a more welcome sight for Eli than his ex-wife at this hour.

"Melinda."

"Three years of marriage, two kids and all I get is a dry, Melinda? I think I deserve more than that."

She inches closer and runs her fingers through his curls. Then she lets her hand trail down the side of his face to his chest, heading further south.

Eli catches her hand and throws it back at her. "Let's not get into what you deserve."

"Elliott, all these years and you're still bitter. Let it go. I have ..." She strokes his cheek. "You got your little whore, didn't you?"

He corrects her. "I got my wife, Melinda. My wife."

"Splitting hairs, Eli." Melinda shrugs. "Were you not still a married man when you met her?"

Always the same shit, different day with her. They have some variation of this argument every time they speak.

"I'm not getting into this with you. You know damn well what the situation was."

"You weren't single."

"I wasn't in a relationship either. There's a certain give and take to those kinds of things. But what would a parasite know about a partnership?"

Her eyes become dark slits of Maybelline smoky liner and Very Black mascara.

"Blame me, if that helps you sleep next to your little black girl. Enjoy the jungle fever while it lasts. I'll be around when it burns out of you."

She touches him again. And again he removes her offending appendage from his person.

"Arden and I will be celebrating our thirteenth wedding anniversary this year. Whatever she's doing is working. So you might want to ask my gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful wife, who happens to be African-American, what her secret is."

Elliott hears a minute crackling. Melinda must be grinding her capped teeth into powder. He just lit a match in an oil tanker.

She creeps closer to him until he can see the touch of gray at her crown, defiant and ready to show her true age. The perfume she all but bathes in hits him in the face like a thorn-ridden bouquet of roses.

"Has she given you any little swirly babies yet?" Melinda smiles at him, baring her fangs.

Now it's Elliott's turn to grind his enamel into dust. His face strains to maintain an even expression.

Melinda is the single reason there isn't a tiny person with Elliott's thick sandy curls, and Arden's beautiful brown eyes running around their

were born. She was still trying to establish

twins ended up with his parents during the day and reading

the twins. She couldn't even be bothered to make a bottle of formula. If Eli left Melinda alone with the children, there was no guarantee she wouldn't leave them in the house to fend for themselves.

a while, it just made more sense for him and Melinda to stop pretending they were an

revolved around school and the twins. Melinda was more concerned with the way all of this made

give them a quick peck on the cheek, then deposit the children into the arms of Eli's mother. She'd dash out the door as

she had time. That Eli, Ro, and Tea would wait around until she was ready to include them in her life. Well, everyone knows what happens

before the twins' first birthday, and the

meant for him. All

the outs. She saw how he was with Arden, and realized he was

he listened. Every time they were together, he couldn't keep his hands off her. He held her hand, caressed her cheek, complimented her every move, kissed her like

in love.

had it

divorce one

weeks, Elliott had introduced Arden to his parents. And they too were smitten with

Melinda for the twins' sake. But there was no reason to be miserable when he could have everything he ever wanted with

he was still married in the eyes of the law. To her knowledge, Melinda was his ex-wife, not his estranged wife. And for this reason, Eli's head earned a permanent spot on Mel's guillotine.

make the divorce nice and

their house, investments. Melinda made a fuss over the littlest shit.

all, even the clothes off his back. Eli would give her anything just to move on with Arden, and

him where it

for full custody of the twins unless Elliott agreed

But then Melinda made her ultimatum clearer. She threatened to go abroad with the

crazy enough to do it. It was either never see his twins again, or give up having

He couldn't worry about hypothetical babies with Arden that might never have happened. That

regained some of the control she felt she'd lost over Eli, and exacted

to have Elliott she was going to be getting damaged goods. She wanted the young woman to experience the inferiority and anguish that she felt when Eli decided to leave.

claimed it was because he discovered he was a carrier for a genetic

him for deciding without discussing it with her first. Then other problems took the place of that issue, and

proactive. And even in the face of Melinda's frequent put-downs about her supposed infertility, she has never mentioned a word

hated lying to Arden. But telling her the truth didn't

with Melinda's shit. This tidbit of information might break that incredible self-control, and Mel is not worth a life sentence in

the whole arrangement makes him seem. Melinda couldn't have him, and he couldn't live without Arden. So he let Mel take his balls,

let his vicious and vindictive ex dictate the direction of their life together. Besides, revealing that truth would also mean uncovering yet another lie—that he made Ardi the unwitting mistress. He didn't want to take the

Not then, and damn sure not now. Not after waking up to her face every morning for the past twelve years.

Mel is around, that harsh reality becomes a distinct possibility. Eli can only hope that if Melinda

lane. The anger from so many years ago is coming back, singeing his skin beet red. The rage is new every time

collects himself, then answers her

kids yet. But maybe that's because she's been

flush her cheeks a bright

right, Fin. My kids. And she'd do well to remember

one who needs reminding of

on Elliott, another nut adds itself

He slicks a cowlick away from his face and takes a

sir. You can't smoke in here," Edward informs the young

pull, then glances down at the glass

slicked-back hair, lights another cigarette, and walks over

the little fuckers

of meat to dangle in front of him. But

were going

pale green eyes dilate to

you think you're being a little dramatic,

out this country ass state doesn't even have a decent vegan restaurant.

She peeks back at Eli over her shoulder. "As soon as, Finley

to discuss that. Right after you tell me who the hell this is." Eli nods to Armando, who smirks and blows a puff of

Armando Christian.

"The model," Armando adds.

around the thin reed of

shrugs. "What is he,

"I'm thirty-four, asshole."

rob the cradle." She smirks at

is your specialty, remember? You're four years older than I am. So that means you're over a decade older than the tiny tike here."

at him. "Where

... with their

every pore. "That

to make sure of that. But it didn't work. She is Rowan

placeholder for

a car for an hour in the middle of July." He scoffs and runs his